U.S. patent number 10,413,145 [Application Number 15/878,228] was granted by the patent office on 2019-09-17 for robotic vacuum with rotating cleaning apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to AI Incorporated. The grantee listed for this patent is Azadeh Afshar Bakooshli, Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Soroush Mehrnia. Invention is credited to Azadeh Afshar Bakooshli, Ali Ebrahimi Afrouzi, Soroush Mehrnia.
United States Patent |
10,413,145 |
Ebrahimi Afrouzi , et
al. |
September 17, 2019 |
Robotic vacuum with rotating cleaning apparatus
Abstract
A method for increasing the rate of debris collection of a
robotic vacuum through increasing the number of times a robotic
vacuum's cleaning apparatus passes over a work surface during each
pass of the device. The device's main cleaning apparatus is
installed on a plate that rotates within the housing of the device.
The drive unit is housed separately from the rotating plate so that
the device's normal movement patterns will be uninterrupted by the
rotation of the cleaning apparatus. Ideally, the cleaning apparatus
will be caused to rotate two or more times over an area before the
robotic vacuum has driven completely through the area.
Inventors: |
Ebrahimi Afrouzi; Ali (San
Jose, CA), Mehrnia; Soroush (Copenhagen, DK),
Afshar Bakooshli; Azadeh (San Jose, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ebrahimi Afrouzi; Ali
Mehrnia; Soroush
Afshar Bakooshli; Azadeh |
San Jose
Copenhagen
San Jose |
CA
N/A
CA |
US
DK
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
AI Incorporated (Toronto,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
61226042 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/878,228 |
Filed: |
January 23, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
14922143 |
Oct 24, 2015 |
9901234 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L
9/2852 (20130101); A47L 9/2831 (20130101); A47L
2201/04 (20130101); A47L 2201/06 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
9/28 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;15/319,339 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Redding; David
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
14/922,143 entitled "Robotic Vacuum with Rotating Cleaning
Apparatus" filed Oct. 24, 2015, which is a Non-Provisional patent
application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/068,579,
filed Oct. 24, 2014 all of which are herein incorporated by
reference in their entireties for all purposes.
Claims
We claim:
1. A mobile robotic cleaning apparatus comprising two sections: an
outer section comprising: a casing or shell; a chassis; a set of
wheels to drive the chassis; one or more steering wheels; a control
system to instruct movement of the wheels; a battery to provide
power to the system; an electric motor and gear set to rotate an
inner section inside of said outer section, said inner section
comprising: a plate with a serrated edge interlocking with said
gear set to facilitate rotation of said inner section, one or more
cleaning apparatuses coupled to said plate for facilitating the
removal of debris from a work surface; a debris container coupled
to said plate for storing collected debris; and a vacuum motor or
impeller coupled to said plate; whereby said inner section is
rotated by said electric motor and gear set within said outer
section as said mobile robotic cleaning apparatus drives through a
work space.
2. The mobile robotic cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said
electric motor rotates at a speed that causes the one or more
cleaning apparatuses to pass over the same area three or more times
before said mobile robotic cleaning apparatus drives out of that
area.
3. The mobile robotic cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said
one or more cleaning apparatuses are a vacuum and brush.
4. The mobile robotic cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said
inner section rotates in a plane parallel to the work surface being
operated on.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to automatic floor cleaning
systems.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently
appears relevant:
TABLE-US-00001 U.S. Patent Documents Pat. No. Kind Code Issue Date
Patentee 7,568,259 B2 Aug. 4, 2009 Jason Yan 9,119,512 B2 Sep. 1,
2015 Martins Maintenance, Inc. 8,839,477 B2 Sep. 23, 2014 Irobot
Corporation 8,087,117 B2 Jan. 3, 2012 Irobot Corporation 7,571,511
B2 Aug. 11, 2009 Irobot Corporation 8,516,651 B2 Aug. 27, 2013
Irobot Corporation 6,883,201 B2 Apr. 26, 2005 Irobot Corporation
7,474,941 B2 Jul. 24, 2003 Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co.,
Ltd.
Robotic vacuums have becoming increasingly popular to clean floors
in modern homes. However, robotic vacuums frequently do not collect
all of the debris on a work surface in a single pass. Several
solutions to increase the efficiency of these devices have been
attempted. Robotic vacuums have been equipped with different
mechanisms, such as more dense brushes and more powerful vacuuming
motors to reduce the possibility of leaving behind debris. Another
solution is to use more intensive movement patterns that cause the
device to cover areas more than once, however this solution
increases the length of time required to adequately service an
area.
A need exists for a method to increase the rate of debris
collection of a robotic vacuum cleaner that does not increase the
length of time to clean an area. A need exists for a solution that
may be combined with other methods of increasing cleaning
power.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is a goal of the present invention to increase the rate of
debris collection of a robotic vacuum cleaner.
It is a goal of the present invention to increase the efficiency of
a robotic vacuum cleaner.
It is a goal of the present invention to provide a solution that
can be combined with other methods to further increase cleaning
efficiency.
The present invention achieves the aforementioned goals through a
robotic vacuum design in which the cleaning apparatuses are housed
on an independently rotating plate within the device. The plate
rotates in a plane parallel to the plane of the work surface as the
device drives through the work area. The rotating cleaning
apparatus causes the vacuuming elements to pass multiple times over
areas that the vacuum traverses as it is moving.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates is an overhead view of the underside of a
robotic vacuum with a rotating cleaning assembly embodying features
of the present invention.
FIG. 2A illustrates a cutaway of a perspective view of the outer
section of a robotic vacuum embodying features of the present
invention.
FIG. 2B illustrates a perspective view of the inner section of a
robotic vacuum embodying features of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will now be described in detail with
reference to a few embodiments thereof as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous
specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough
understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent,
however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may
be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In
other instances, well known process steps and/or structures have
not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure
the present invention.
Various embodiments are described below, including methods and
techniques. The disclosure described herein is directed generally
to a robotic vacuum with a rotating cleaning apparatus.
As understood herein, the term "robotic vacuum" may be defined
generally to include one or more autonomous devices having
communication, mobility, vacuuming and/or processing elements. For
example, a robotic vacuum may comprise a casing or shell, a chassis
including a set of wheels, a motor to drive wheels, a receiver that
acquires signals transmitted from, for example, a transmitting
beacon, a processor, and/or controller that processes and/or
controls motor and other robotic autonomous or cleaning operations,
network or wireless communications, power management, etc., one or
more clock or synchronizing devices, a vacuum motor to provide
suction, a debris dustbin to store debris, a brush to facilitate
collection of debris, and a means to spin the brush.
Generally, a robotic vacuum with two sections, one of which spins
in a plane parallel to the plane of the work surface, is proposed.
The inner section houses the cleaning apparatuses, vacuum motor,
and debris container. The outer section supports the inner section
and houses all the other robotic vacuum components as well as a
means to rotate the inner section within the outer section. The
rotating action allows the cleaning apparatuses to pass multiple
times over the portion of the work surface that the vacuum is
traveling over as it moves. This increase in coverage results in a
more thoroughly cleaned area.
Referring to FIG. 1, an overhead view of the underside of a robotic
vacuum 100 with a rotatable cleaning apparatus is illustrated. An
outer section 101 of the robotic vacuum houses all the stationary
components, including driving wheels 102, steering wheel 103, a
control system (not shown), batteries (not shown), and a means to
rotate the inner section (not shown). The outer section may further
house other components without limitation. The robotic vacuum
components shown are included for illustrative purposes only and
are not intended to limit the invention to the particular design
shown. In the example shown, the outer section further houses
sensors 104 and side brushes 105. An inner section 106 of the
robotic vacuum is supported by and rotates within the outer
section. The inner section houses the main cleaning apparatuses
107, vacuum motor (not shown), and debris container (not
shown).
Referring to FIG. 2A, a cutaway of a perspective view of the outer
section 101 of the robotic vacuum is illustrated. The opening 208
is where the inner section, depicted in FIG. 2B, is installed. An
electric motor and set of gears 209 rotate the inner section.
Referring to FIG. 2B, a perspective view of the inner section 106
of the robotic vacuum is illustrated. The inner section comprises a
plate 210 with a serrated edge 211 that engages with the gear set
in FIG. 2A to rotate the inner section. The debris container 212,
vacuum motor 213, and cleaning apparatus 214 are installed on the
inner section.
In the preferred embodiment, as the robotic vacuum drives through
an area, the motor and gear set rotate the plate of the inner
section so that the cleaning apparatus rotates in a plane
horizontal to the work surface. In the preferred embodiment, the
rate of rotation of the inner section in relation to the driving
speed of the wheels is fast enough the cleaning apparatuses are
caused to pass over substantially the same area two or more times
before the robotic vacuum drives out of that area.
* * * * *